Roof racks are commonly employed on automobiles for carrying objects. Typically they include a pair of elongated bars which may be secured to the roof of the automobile so the bars are spaced apart and extend transversely across the roof. Objects are placed on the racks and usually ropes are employed to tie the objects to the racks. It is known to be a time consuming and somewhat frustrating job to properly tie down the cargo so that it will not shift or become dislodged when the vehicle is in motion. This normally requires many knots in the rope which must be untied subsequently to remove the cargo. Stretchable members with hooks are sometimes used to secure the cargo, but these are not adequate for many heavy and large objects.
Accordingly, there is still a need for a simplified tie down device for securing an object carried on a rack of this nature. Earlier patents of interest include U.S. Pat. No. 1,566,235 to Sheehan which shows a tourniquet tightened by a twisting action and which utilises a handle element or twisting element. U.S. Pat. No. 614,177 to Welch shows a method of twisting rope or wire to produce tension. Of general interest are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,128,516 to Halvarson and 210,527 to Harris.